THE HISTORY CHANNEL (gaming history)I have pretty much always been a solo gamer, even from day one. My parents didn't really do a lot of gaming with me, but I enjoyed games, so I'd play them myself. They would both play card games with me, and by card games I mean your standard 52 card deck, but that was it.

My brother would occasionally play 52 card pickup with me, which was a really crappy game for the person who wasn't the dealer.

I remember staying up all night one night and playing an 8 player game of Monopoly solo. And I do mean, ALL NIGHT. I had most of your basics, Parcheesi, Monopoly, Battleship, etc.

One day in a local store, I can't even remember how old I was, I remember seeing a copy of Heroquest. I was there to spend birthday or Christmas or some kind of money, and my dad asked was I sure I wanted that. I said yes, and was immediately taken in. I also remember getting a copy of Thunder Road and Buck Rogers for Christmas.

I got out of board gaming and into video gaming, at one point having all 4 major next gen systems (X-Box, PS2, Gamecube, Dreamcast). I grew bored of them, and ended up picking up board gaming again, delving into titles such as Heroscape (oh how I wish I'd never sold you), Axis and Allies, Nexus Ops, Risk 2210 and so forth. I haven't looked back.

THE FOOD CHANNEL (gaming tastes)When I was still a child, I remember playing with Star Wars figures and Transformers (80's era of both) and getting bored with how arbitrary the shots were. I was deciding who got shot and where. I actually started using dice to select targets, if those targets were hit, and where those targets were hit. 1 was a head shot. 6 was a chest shot. 2 was right arm, 3 was left arm, 4 was right leg, and 5 was left leg. When I pulled some D10 from another game, it got a little more complicated, but I don't remember that scheme.

I said all that to say this. I still like my games to feel like playing with toys. I like miniatures and I like lots of plastic. I probably fall into the "Ameritrash" gamer more than anything, though I do not particularly like that term.

KASEY CASEM (top games)Currently X-Wing Miniatures and Sentinels of the Multiverse are king of my gaming pile. I've always been a Star Wars fan (original trilogy) and had a love of superheroes since a teenager. Other than that, recently I've developed a particular fondness for cooperative games. I've been sinking some time into Pandemic, the the Forbidden Desert/Island games.

HOBBY LOBBY (what else do I do?)I don't have time for much these days particularly gaming. Right now most of my time is spent chasing a toddler around, playing cars with him and watching Postman Pat with him if there's a lull in playing. He already likes to throw dice (from King of Tokyo and X-Wing), so I think I have a gamer in training.

I like snapping photos, but don't do a whole lot of it.

I like to read, but don't do a whole lot of that either.

I've started going to the gym, and I enjoy that, especially seeing the waist go down and the strength go up.

AVATAR?Ironhide from Transformers. He was always one of my favorites and is obviously my namesake on the geek.

Prior to that, I had the Abominable Charles Christopher, a web comic I had grown fond of that has not been updated in some time. I'm hoping it has not faded away at this point.

I think there was something before that do, but I can't remember what. Maybe Mega Man